Baptist Press: “While a pastor’s right to preach against same-sex ‘marriage’ may not be threatened by its legalization, many other religious activities may be in jeopardy, the general counsel for the American Jewish Congress told National Public Radio.”

Times Record News: “The Wichita Falls Independent School District is one of six Texas public school districts asked Thursday by the American Civil Liberties Union of Texas to disclose all information about distribution of Gideon Bibles and other religious information on its schools’ grounds.”

LifeSiteNews: “A report by Spain’s Institute for Family Policy says that Spain, with one of the western world’s lowest birth rates and a high average life expectancy, is now the most rapidly aging country in the European Union. The Institute’s head, Eduardo Hertfelder, told media that the government’s ‘dreadful’ contraceptive policies are having a ‘catastrophic effect.’”

LifeSiteNews: “Criticism continues to pour in from pro-life lawmakers over the radical pro-abortion views of Dawn Johnsen, Obama’s pick to head the Office of Legal Counsel, who reportedly does not have enough votes to overcome a Republican filibuster in the Senate. However, GOP judiciary committee members fear that Obama may move the nomination through while Congress is in recess over Memorial Day, a tactic known as a recess appointment.”

Jonathan Adler poses this question at the Volokh Conspiracy: “With the Senate recessed over the Memorial Day break, will President Obama name stalled nominee Dawn Johnsen to head the Office of Legal Counsel through a recess appointment.”

Brookings Institution: “As we await a White House announcement, a consideration of Justice David Souter’s religious liberty legacy is in order. Justice Souter has had a strong voice and an interesting combination of views on these matters. A brief review of some of Souter’s opinions helps to lay a foundation for understanding how President Obama’s pick to replace him might affect the church-state balance at the Court.”

“And last weekend, a diverse group of gay activists, bloggers, Democratic Party organizers and fundraisers from across the country came together in Dallas to discuss how to more aggressively advance their agenda.”

Emily Ramshaw reports in the Dallas Morning News: “Over the last four years, lawmakers have diverted millions of dollars from the specialty clinics such as Planned Parenthood to expand family-planning services at community health centers, which provide a broader range of services. In the current legislative session, lawmakers may give back some money to the specialty clinics – but only what’s left unused by the health centers.”

How Appealing provides this link to the Daily Journal article by Laura Ernde and Lawrence Hurley who write: “Having already reportedly interviewed 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Diane Wood, the White House has also been in contact with another frontrunner, Sonia Sotomayor of the 2nd Circuit, and long-shot contender Justice Carlos R. Moreno of the California Supreme Court, sources have told the Daily Journal.”

The Charleston Gazette: “In a related matter, school board member Bill Raglin argued that if employees don’t complete the training by the end of the year, he should be docked his salary until he finishes it. Board members agreed Thursday …

Green Party press release: “In the run-up to the 4 June European elections, the Green Party’s two MEPs, Caroline Lucas (South East England) and Jean Lambert (London), are backing calls for an end to the ban on same-sex marriage in the UK and other EU member states.”

Katie Landan reports at Fox News: “A group of parents in a California school district say they are being bullied by school administrators into accepting a new curriculum that addresses bullying, respect and acceptance — and that includes compulsory lessons about the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community that will be taught to children as young as 5 years old.”

Tulsa World: “Congratulations to Rep. Pam Peterson, Tulsa Police Sgt. Tim Stadler and everyone else involved in House Bill 1460. The bill — signed into law Tuesday by Gov. Brad Henry will make it simpler for police to get subpoenas to force open computer records of suspected child pornographers.”

Kimi Yoshino reports in the LA Times: “As the economy worsens, some Planned Parenthood clinics are reporting a record number of abortions. Other women’s health agencies say they are experiencing heavier call volumes, more visits and more requests for abortion funding. In addition, many women are postponing pregnancy and switching to longer-term contraceptives that can last up to five or 10 years, clinic officials report.”

Family Research Council: “While the state waits on Lynch to hold up his end of the bargain, the bill on religious exemptions now heads to conference. The Speaker and Senate President (both Democrats) will be responsible for appointing the members to the conference committee. Although they’re expected to pick liberals who will vote with them, the rules clearly state that they must include at least one member from the other party. If the bill doesn’t pass out of the conference unanimously, it will die. FRC will keep you updated on the committee activity as it happens.”

EdNews.org: “This time the picket was on the other side of the fence. Teachers from the Charter School for Applied Technologies in the Town of Tonawanda took to the picket line Monday, demanding more representation — from their own union.”

The Catholic League: “Leading the fight for gay marriage in New Hampshire is Rep. Steve Vaillancourt. He proves, beyond any shadow of a doubt, why champions of religious liberty must resist gay marriage: he worked to kill the bill because it insulated religious institutions from its reach.”

Pacific Justice Institute: “. . . Pastor Jim Nimmons painted the word ‘Eternity’ on the church’s roof, intending to prompt locals to ponder where they would spend eternity. A few months later, the City slapped the church with a fine and nuisance order, charging criminal violation of sign ordinances.”

Harvard Science: “Chaplains are just one of the ways in which hospitals and religion cross-pollinate — but, says sociologist Cadge, a current fellow at the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study, this cross-pollination can sometimes be a tricky business.”

The New York Daily News reports: “The four men accused of plotting to blow up synagogues and shoot down a plane all did stretches in state prisons – a major breeding ground for Islamic radicalization.”

Jim Auchmutey writing in the Wall Street Journal: “The UCC is known as one of the more liberal Protestant denominations. Center Congregational’s members, by contrast, are generally conservative. Over the years they sometimes groused about the liberal positions that the UCC adopted at its biennial General Synod, but there was no reason to get too upset. In the Congregational system, Synod votes are not necessarily binding on individual churches. Center’s attitude changed in 2005 when the assembly, meeting in Atlanta, gave its blessing to gay marriage.”

WorldNetDaily reports: “‘The hospital acted unlawfully when it refused to make a reasonable accommodation for Ms. Lemly and instead terminated her fulltime position,’ said Brian Arabie, a Lake Charles attorney who is allied with the ADF and is working on the case . . .”

OneNewsNow reports: “Susan Mendelson of Jews for Jesus simply wanted to distribute literature and talk to people in a city park. Brett Harvey, an attorney with Alliance Defense Fund (ADF), explains what happened. ‘The city of Oyster Bay said you have to come to us to get a permit first just to have a conversation in a public park — and that simply is unconstitutional,’ he notes.”

Laura Vanderkam writes at USA Today: “Our pop culture has a relentless fascination with babies. So perhaps it’s no surprise that across the developed world, the U.S. is the outlier, with a higher fertility rate. Why that’s a good thing.”

Francis Beckwith writing at his What’s Wrong With the World blog: “Professor Leiter is mistaken that I support discrimination against gay philosophers. What I support is the right of Christian colleges and universities to be treated with equal regard and respect within the community of academic institutions.”

C-FAM reports: “The International Women’s Health Coalition (IWHC), backed by European nations, major foundations and the UN Population Fund, has launched an aggressive campaign to thwart proposed Article 30, which would protect human life “from conception.” The country’s national assembly approved the amendment in a first reading by an overwhelming majority of 167-32 on April 21st, but it must go through a second reading before final promulgation by the President.”

The Independent Weekly: “The bill is widely seen as an attempt to shield pharmacists from liability for refusing on moral/religious grounds to dispense Plan B — the so-called ‘morning after pill’ — a high-dose contraceptive that can prevent a pregnancy if taken within hours after sex.”

The Times-Picayune: “An enthusiastic Kenner City Council Thursday stepped up regulation of sexually oriented businesses with a 29-page ordinance governing such things as hours of operations and eliminating doors on viewing booths at adult bookstores. The hope, Kenner council members said, is to combat crime and unhealthiness.”

AP: “The Irish government expects to dole out more than euro1.1 billion ($1.6 billion) in legal costs and compensation to 14,000 people molested, beaten or terrorized while under church care from the 1930s to 1990s – a long-buried scandal brought into full light this week with the publication of a 2,600-page investigation.”